this is the first time I'm hearing about spanking rooms but I can certainly believe that it is true.
One elder still recommeds spanking to keep children as young as 2 quiet during meal times and at the meetings. This shocked me greatly and I was very glad when the parents of one particular child did not listen to him.
Unfortunately parents still spank their children at the hall but not as much as they did in the past (this is what I've been told). At the recent convention we sat in the children's section and most parents around us were very patient and loving towards their children.
In this country spanking is very very discouraged and the government has produced some helpful lit on the subject of how to discipline effectively. maybe I ought to give this particular elder some of it.